Projecting Florida's 2023 Running Back Depth Chart
Photo (left to right): Florida running backs Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne
Running backs are a vital component of Billy Napier's scheme.
Dating back to his scheme at Louisiana-Lafayette, the ground game has been the lifeline to the offense's success. The results proved similar for the Gators in his first year in control of the program in 2022, as Florida produced 200.2 yards per game, 5.5 yards per rush and a 56-44% run-pass split.
Now, heading into the 2023 season, Florida's two-headed monster in the backfield returns with replenished depth behind it. As a result, it's one of the deepest units the team will field in the upcoming campaign.
It's also the most predictable from a depth chart perspective.
In anticipation of the season's start on Aug. 31 in Salt Lake City, Utah, All Gators analyzes the starting, backup and reserve running backs in the Gators 2023 rotation.
Starters: Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne
The top of the Florida Gators running back rotation in 2023 was determined midway through the 2022 season, as underclassmen Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne produced fruitfully as a tandem while commanding the bulk of Florida's carries.
Now, with Johnson entering his junior season and Etienne hearing into his sophomore year, the Gators' one-two punch is slated to handle an even heavier workload as the feature pieces of the attack.
However, while producing efficiently, the style in which each did so varied greatly but proved complementary to the other's skillset.
In his first season at Florida after his transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette, Johnson showcased himself as a physically imposing, downhill-style ball carrier with a knack for working between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. He accounted for 841 yards, 5.5 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns on 155 carries a season ago.
Etienne, meanwhile, provides a creative, elusive runner who works best when in space. He compiled 719 yards, 6.1 yards per carry and six touchdowns on 118 attempts during his impressive freshman campaign.
Both are capable of reeling off explosive runs of 62 and 85 yards, respectively, as well.
As a result, Florida has a highly effective and well-rounded backfield to lean on as Napier tailors the offense to newly minted starter Graham Mertz. Johnson and Etienne's responsibilities are expected to expand, accordingly, to supplement the retooled air attack.
The exact starter will likely be determined on a game-by-game basis — depending on the style that best matches the opposing defense — but both backs will take on a starter's share of carries.
As a result, this is arguably Florida's most potent position in 2023.
Backups: Cam Carroll and Treyaun Webb
In the Florida system, the offense can only be as good as their backup running backs because of the volume at which Napier elects to run the football.
During his second year at Louisiana-Lafayette, the head coach saw three ball carriers eclipse the 800-yard mark on the ground, with one — Elijah Mitchell — surpassing the 1,100-yard mark in his own right.
As a result, when Nay'Quan Wright and Lorenzo Lingard departed from the program following the 2022 season, the Gators sought out a veteran who could complement the incumbent one-two punch in the potential three-deep rotation.
Tulane's Cam Carroll — who entered the portal after an injury held him out of action in 12 of 13 games a year ago — answered that challenge.
Standing at 6-foot, 231 pounds, Carroll — bigger than any other backs in the room — presents a towering frame which suggests usage as a short-area back upon first glance. However, his athleticism proved his foremost attribute during his time with the Green Wave, creating a mismatch for defenses when he worked outside the tackles and in open space.
Carroll brings the most collegiate production as a receiver among the bunch, accounting for 198 yards and three touchdowns during his standout season in 2021. He'll likely assume a niche as a third-down back in Florida's offense in the 2023 season, but he is open to fulfilling any role asked of him.
"Honestly, I knew that coming here, I was coming into a loaded backfield and whatever my role may be, whether it's, you know, [as] a relief guy or a role player. Whatever that role looks like, whatever that role may be, I want to be there for the team, to put us in the best situation possible," Carroll said on Sunday.
Entering the fold alongside him is true freshman Treyaun Webb.
In the limited part he has performed in throughout the offseason, Webb's proven game to eventually assume the downhill rusher role within the Gators' offense beyond his first season with the team.
However, that doesn't mean he couldn't see some time in year one.
He could be eased into the lineup as the schedule rolls on to earn needed in-game reps for the future. If he does, it'll likely be as a rotational back in the back half of the year.
Reserve: JaKobi Jackson
The Gators will likely stick to a four-man running back rotation throughout the 2023 campaign, looking to avoid an overcrowded cycle of ball carriers given how crucial the ground game will be to the unit's offensive and large-scale success.
While Carroll and Webb are the top options to fulfill those backup duties, Coahoma Community College (Clarksdale, Miss.) transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson is the next man up at the crucial spot for Florida.
The junior, from Pensacola, Fla., was a late addition to the Gators 2023 class via the JUCO level to satisfy the team's desired number of scholarship players in the room.
Standing at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Jackson presents a fast and twitchy running back prospect to a positions corps of varying skillsets. He accounted for 1,390 yards and 14 touchdowns in 20 career games at Coahoma, presenting flashes as an off-tackle rusher and a potential asset to the passing game as a receiver if given the opportunity.
Despite the lack of a fixed role in the offense, Jackson could occasionally appear in the backfield if — or when — Napier deviates from the regularly scheduled substitutions in favor of a spark.
Until then, Jackson will serve as a factor on special teams.
Previous Gators 2023 depth chart projections
Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
Get your Gators football, basketball, baseball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.
